Genetic parameters and promising provenances and progenies for enhanced silvicultural traits in Eremanthus erythropappus

Abstract Eremanthus erythropappus, a species of economic importance for α-bisabolol production, has great potential for genetic improvement. However, limited knowledge on genetic parameters during the exploitation of commercial plantations hampers its progress. In this study, we estimated genetic parameters and correlations for silvicultural traits in a provenance and progenies test of E. erythropappus at 11 years of age, aiming to identify promising provenances and families. The experiment, conducted in Baependi, involved five provenances and 116 half-sib families in a complete randomized block design. Height (H), diameter at breast height (DBH), survival (SOB), and volume (Vol) were measured, and the REML/BLUP mixed model approach was used to estimate genetic parameters. Our results revealed significant genotype-level effects for all traits, except H at the provenance level. Narrow sense heritability ranged from 0.05 (SOB) to 0.17 (DBH), suggesting a substantial influence of environmental factors. Genotypic variation surpassed that of provenances, and positive phenotypic and genotypic correlations between growth traits were observed, ranging from moderate to strong. Notably, the provenances Itabirito and Delfim Moreira exhibited outstanding performance in terms of DBH and Vol. Furthermore, families 4, 6, 37, 118, and 124 emerged as top contenders for H, DBH, and Vol. Despite low heritability, selection strategies within and between provenances and families for silvicultural traits are viable. Importantly, high phenotypic and genotypic correlations allow for indirect selection, thus streamlining assessment efforts. These findings advance our understanding of genetic parameters providing valuable insights for the genetic improvement of E. erythropappus, fostering its sustainable utilization in various industries.